₦airaland Forum

oyatz:
Nigeria and indeed most African countries have great problems of ethnic tension because of the long lasting legacies of European colonialism which make tribal identities the basis of sharing national wealth, powers and privileges in artificially created heterogeneous countries.
It is the basis of civil wars, political instabilities and corruption in many African Countries.

If individual merits are largely used in sharing national wealth, political powers and privileges in these countries, nobody will give a hoot about tribes.


In Nigeria, the Fulani ethnic group have mastered the art of Statecraft. Even though they themselves are a minority recently settled ethnic group in Nigeria, have succeeded in forging an amalgam of diversed tribes into the largest power block headed by them.

They achieved these between 1804-1903 by conquering different tribes, encouraged them to forgo their tribal identities and embrace a new identity; the Islamic identity which unify everybody in Theocratic States called EMIRATES, many of which are joined together in a Confederacy called the SOKOTO Caliphate.

The British Colonialists met this structure and strengthened it by creating a larger political entity encompassing two thirds of Nigieria called Northern Region and handed it over to the Fulani rulers.

The Igbos on the other hand doesn't have this advantage. Similar tribes like the Anioma, Etche, Ekpeye and Ikwerre suppose to coalesce into the greater Igbo super ethnic group but they refuse to do so and this was magnified by the defeat of the Igbos in the Civil war with reverberating consequences.

However, the nature of life is that you can't always win on all sides. Those who are disadvantaged in one side are advantaged in other areas.

The Fulani have advantages in politics and powers but great disadvantages in education and modern indices of development. The Igbos have advantages in education, commerce and enjoy higher quality of life than most of their compatriots.

Fortunately, everything is subjected to change and things are changing nowadays.

Nowenuse:
My question is this.
Were you Ikwerres speaking a very distinct language from Igbo language in the past, before you people were influenced by Igbos during precolonial and colonial times?
If yes, please can you show me some proofs on this?

Southern Kaduna & Bauchi people are both neighbours of Hausas. Same precolonial and colonial influence of cut and join was done upon them by the British and today they all speak Hausa (some as a 1st language and others as a 2nd language).

The thing is that even in Bauchi where majority accepted Islam and hausanization was strongest, we can still see the traces of the minority languages. In the interior rural villages, elderly people still speak/spoke these native languages.
The last surviving speaker of Bure language in Bauchi, an old woman I think died a few years ago...

I always heard stories that the people of Birnin Gwari LGA in Kaduna state were originally Gwari people who have now become Hausas. I wasn't sure of this, not until I saw a British colonial record of ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria and it was clearly written by the British that the elders in Birnin Gwari still spoke Gbagyi language as at the 1920s. Then I was fully satisfied.

This is why I am asking you, can we see any form of record or evidence that Ikwerre people were very distinct from Igbos? Thank you.

And please enlighten me more about the COR agitation of minorities in the old Eastern region.

Middlebelt minorities also submitted their request to the Willinks Comission in 1959 for an independent region from the north, but it was heavily ignored. So I am really interested in that of the Eastern minorities. Thanks.

Nowenuse:
The active pro-Igbos are the Igbuzors, Ogwash, Okpanam and parts of Asaba, e.t.c. You can hardly differentiate these ones from the Igbos in the SE. They are pro Igbo and Igbotic to the core. Most of them don't even give you the 'Delta-Igbo bullshit'. Ask them their tribe and they tell you IGBO!
The passive pro-Igbos in Enuani have some sort of inferiority or maybe that is just the way they are, I don't know. They accept being Igbo, but they hardly want to speak Igbo in public and with people from the SE. They do not openly flaunt their Igboness with pride unlike the active pro-Igbos.

I will never forget the time when a list of all the students in my level and facculty was posted on the notice board and people were identified with their ethnic languages, oboy, come and see identity crisis among Aniomas!!
You will see people from the same LGA, yet some will say they are Igbo, some Ndokwa, some Ukwani, some Kwale, some Ika, some Agbor and many other appellations. I mean, what kind of embarrassment is this?

Bigcowhorn:
There was a thread on romance section about a month ago where people got asked to mention the person/moniker(s) they dislike on NL. The OP was Chenzen who I had history with so of course he mentioned me right away. Several people mentioned a moniker that goes around striking out comments. One female user mentioned the moniker follows her around but went by a slightly different name. Another female countered her.

Both appeared confused but in the end it was agreed that there two different monikers following them around, mocking, threatening and cancelling out their comments.

Both ladies where very well educated, young, single ladies like you.

Nowenuse:
Wow, are you sure about your 2nd paragraph? I never knew any white Americans could take this ancestry thing that serious!

Bigcowhorn:
I've come across at least 2 complaints against this guy by different women. Funny thing is he was using 2 different monikers back then and so the women were confused as to who was who. But this is one person with the same pattern.

Nowenuse:
Yes, sometimes, I think divisions are very very political and created by humans.

It's just the same way Austrians reject German identity, yet Barvarians (the largest subgroup in Germany) speak exactly the same language and practice same culture with Austrians.

Netherlands is very identical to their neigbours Northern Germany too, they understand each other and practice the same culture. Netherlands call themselves DUTCH while Germans call themselves DEUTSCH. Same pronounciation, yet Dutch people can assault you for insisting they are Germans

Humans are just very funny creatures.

In the case of Igbos, I think the River Niger and the South-south geopolitical division is the biggest problem of unity.

Fokosobo:
They should forget about taking her back. She won't even agree because the shame will be too much and unbearable for her.

The best thing she can do is get a transfer (if possible) Or go and start afresh in another University.

igben:
Nose and teeth @ the left side close to opening different...

Ginaz:
But it’s really repulsive. Didn’t you see the way she drank the sperm? Yuck!! I was repulsed. I can’t imagine myself doing that. Sperm that’s filled with human fluid.

Annie001:
The VC should keep quiet
What did you guys do to the person who leaked the tape? Or is he or she not in your school, so you teach your student how to ruin other people’s life
Nonsense!

MedicH:
God save me from this kind wife

midnighter can you relate? is it right?

nonsense

LilMissFavvy:
So Sammy Okposo is not even the owner of wellu wellu? Gospel ministration is not by force, if you don't have the inspiration to do it, then go and serve God in other ways, rather than steal people's songs to perform to gain popularity. Talentless noise maker, nonscence, Asu Ekiye is right. Sammy should stop stealing and allow those whom God gave the gift to do it.

BluntBoy:
Jesus advised us to give to Caesar what is Caesar's.

There is something called copyright law. If you sing someone else's song without crediting them, it is theft. And stealing is a sin.

oyatz:
Ikwerre= Igbo

oyatz:
I started taking note of this division from that episode and I have met several people there after whom I assumed to be Igbos but told me they aren't even if they bear Ebuka or Amarachi.

However, you need to understand that this phenomenon of people rejecting some tribal/ethnic identities to which other wrongly give them is NOT restricted to the Igbos. It occurs through out Nigeria and indeed all over the world. It never ceases to amaze and amuse me when young Igbos on Nairaland become angry at such rejection (possibly as a form of unpalatable hangover from the unfortunate civil war).

In the North, several tribes exist that we assume are Hausa because they speak the Language and practice the cultures of the Hausa people. These peoples are quick to tell those who care to listen that they aren't Hausas.
However,the division is not a big deal in the North largely because the shared Islamic identity superceed ethnic identity as a password to entering different strata of their society.

mechanics:
hahahahah, he will still forgive her, she should cook his best food.

flexyrule:
I swear down. The things I saw on my friend girlfriend's facebook and whatsapp chat today. Only God can save that relationship if I tell him.

pazienza:
Second statement :

"Americans speak English, yet not all Americans are English. Also, Igbos speak English language,but we cannot say Ndiigbo are English people"

My analysis : America was colonized by England(Britain) who imposed English language on them. Ndiigbo never colonized Ikwerre as we were never Empire builders. Igbos in addition to speaking English as a colonial language, have Igbo language as mother tongue which is totally unrelated to English language. In contrast, Ikwerre has no other indigenous language that is unrelated to Igbo language.

flexyrule:
I can bet my testes that this would be the end of the marriage!

oyatz:
Thanks for your matured response.

I am personally interested in the Ikwerre/Anioma matter because of my personal experience. Before entering the University, I used to assume that names and language clearly define one's ethnic group until I met some 'igbo' people with certain encounters.

During my NYSC days in Yobe State, there was one Igbo lady in my flat called Oluchi who was very close and nice to me. I didn't return her gestures because she was too lousy for my liking. There were several other 'Igbo' corpers in that corpers' lodge.

One day, one of the other Igbo corpers called Mercy came to our flat , requesting for a little favour from me which needed the cooperation of Oluchi. This Oluchi embarrassed and disgraced Mercy publicly which I didn't like.

I later went to Oluchi, asking her why she publicly disgraced Mercy, after all they are both Igbos and are supposed to be sisters. She immediately protested, Mercy is NOT Igbo! I said but she bears Igbo surname and speak Igbo. To my greatest surprise, Oluchi said 'the fact that she speaks Igbo doesn't make her Igbo, she also speak Yoruba fluently, does that mean she is Yoruba?

Oluchi went further to tell me that only she and two other people are Igbos and that the rest that we assume are Igbos are only igbos in names but not truly Igbos!

magicminister:
He has a point but his manner of delivery would make anyone feel attacked.

He could have said something like:

“It was an honor to share the stage with all the gospel singers that graced the occasion. Personally, I feel as an industry, we can do a better job to promote creativity and originality. While we are all there to praise the lord, we are also there to showcase our talents to the people of God. We cannot fully blossom if we rob others of their Glory or consistently fail to showcase our incredible creativity.”

Shiiiit like that you know. I have lived long enough to know that the message is just as important as the delivery. If your delivery is respectful, kind and uplifting, most people will not take it as an affront.

noblealuu:
Which ever song is sung is not bad as far as God is glorified. It's not a platform for competition to outdo anyone.


Singing to promote self and receive accolades from people only glorifies self not God.

But on a lighter note, I have never heard of this name before

Davash222:
Who’s Asu Ekiye

niaralandtopuser:
you are refusing to accept the obvious. It is all good Sha . I won't be arguing if I have anything doing this Saturday

OgaBuhari:
mfire mfem or whatever that means gbuo gi dia

OgaBuhari:
how far that EmptyCoconuthead Account has been banned